This invention relates generally to an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data on record media, and particularly to such an apparatus for use with magnetic tape packaged in cassette form More particularly, the invention pertains to a compatible recording/reproducing apparatus that can be put to selective use with standard-size tape cassettes and with those of smaller size.
Video tape cassettes are commercially available today in two different sizes, that is, standard size and compact size. Standard-size tape cassettes find widespread use with video tape recorders or decks of standard design. Compact-size cassettes have more recently been developed for use with portable video cameras. The majority of prior art tape decks have been constructed for use with standard-size cassettes only. Adapters have therefore been needed for using the compact-size cassettes on such tape decks. The compact-size cassette has had to be first loaded in the adapter, and the loaded adapter has then been inserted in the deck.
The advent of truly compatible tape decks has thus been awaited by the users in order to eliminate the trouble with use of cassette adapters. One conventional approach to this problem is found in Japanese Patent Application No. 61-54069. This prior application suggests an apparatus having a pair of drive spindles for direct driving engagement with the associated reels of both standard- and compact-size tape cassettes. The drive spindles are moved horizontally to preassigned positions required by the particular size of the cassette loaded and then are engaged with the cassette reels for the commencement of recording or reproduction.
This prior art apparatus has several shortcomings that must be eliminated to establish the true utility of the compatible magnetic tape cassette apparatus. First, the prior art apparatus does not lend itself to use with compact-size tape cassettes of the commercially available type such that the takeup reel is driven via a set of gear teeth formed on its bottom reel flange.
Another shortcoming of the known apparatus manifests itself in connection with the upstanding positioning pins which are commonly employed for holding the loaded tape cassette in a preassigned position within the apparatus. The positioning pins of the compatible tape cassette apparatus must themselves take different positions depending upon the size of the tape cassette being loaded. The movement of the positioning pins has been totally independent of the movement of the drive spindles in the prior art apparatus, with the consequent likelihood of misalignment taking place between the relative positions of the drive spindles and the positioning pins.
Still another drawback of the prior art arises in conjunction with the familiar file protect, or anti-erase, tabs on tape cassettes. The tape cassette apparatus in general is equipped with a sensor for detecting the file protect tab as each tape cassette is loaded. The positions of the file protect tabs differ between the standard- and compact-size cassettes. For detecting the tab on the compact-size cassette, the sensor must be in such a position as to interfere with the loading of the standard-size cassette. It has therefore been suggested to move the sensor up and down as well as the relocation of the positioning pins. This solution is objectionable because of different means required for the displacements of the sensor, the positioning pins and the drive spindles. Here again, misalignment has been very easy to occur among the relative positions of such movable members.
A further problem left unsolved in the art is the placement of the capstan and the capstan motor with respect to the loading positions of the standard- and compact-size tape cassettes. The capstan has so far been positioned so close to the loading positions that the capstan motor has partly underlaid them, making it difficult to reduce the thickness or vertical dimension of the apparatus to a minimum. The capstan and the capstan motor should be horizontally kept remote from the loading positions of the tape cassettes for minimizing the vertical dimension of the apparatus.
However, with the capstan remote from the loading positions of the tape cassettes, the magnetic tape must be pulled out of the loaded cassette a correspondingly longer distance for engagement with the capstan. This requires the use of an elongate guide arm carrying a guide pole for pulling out the tape. Such an elongate guide arm would be undesirable because of the possibility of its deflection taking place under tape tension, particularly during the fast-forwarding or rewinding of the tape. The elongate guide arm would also be susceptible to vibrations, adversely affecting the desired stability of tape transportation during recording and reproduction. It might be contemplated to build the guide arm strong and sturdy enough to withstand such deflection or vibration. This solution would be unpractical in view of the added weight of the arm, and of the objective of reducing the thickness of the complete apparatus.
There is another difficulty that must be defeated in order to position the capstan and the capstan motor at a distance from the loading positions of the tape cassettes. The guide arm must then swing past one of the positioning pins for the standard-size tape cassette. This positioning pin must therefore be so supported as to avoid interference with the guide arm. Thus, in short, the capstan cannot possibly be positioned a required distance away from the loading positions of the tape cassettes unless the insufficient mechanical strength of the elongate guide arm is compensated for and, at the same time, unless the collision of the guide arm with one of the positioning pins is avoided.